Letter-clasp.



No. 877,782. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908.

A. J. KRIETE.

LETTER CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 13,1907.

QR); b1 eases THE NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON. 11c

ALFRED J. KRIETE, OF ASHERVILLE, KANSAS.

LETTER-CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

IlPatented Jan. 28, 1908.

Application filed September 13, 1907. Serial No. 392.720.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. KRIETE, citizen of the United States, residing at Asherville, in the county of Mitchell and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Letter-Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is in the nature of an improved device for engaging a plurality of letters or like members and tightly compressing the same into a compact bundle convenient for filing or analogous purposes.

The object of the invention is to design a letter clamp which can be readily operated to release letters or force the same into a compact bundle, and which is of simple and inexpensive construction.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clamp embodying the invention, a number of letters being shown therein in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device, the clamping bar being shown in section.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In general the device comprises a frame formed with a pair of upright standards, and a clamping bar slidably mounted upon the standards and cooperating with the frame to compress the letters.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 1 designates the base of the frame from the ends of which the standards 2 project upwardly, the inner faces of the said standards being formed with the downwardly inclined teeth 3. The clamping bar 4 is slidably mounted upon the standards 2 so as to compress the letters against the base 1, and is provided with spring catches normally engaging the teeth 3 upon the inner face of the standards. This clamping bar 4 is of hollow or tubular formation andhas a transverse shaft 5 journaled therein at an intermediate point, one end of the shaft projecting outwardly beyond the bar and terminating in a finger-piece 6 while the portion of the shaft within the tubular clamping bar 4 has a drum 7 keyed upon or otherwise made rigid therewith. A catch 8 is slidably mounted within each end of the clamping bar 4 and each of the said catches comprises a nose 9 for engaging the teeth 3 and a shank 10 passing loosely through a transverse partition 11. A coil spring 12 surrounds the shank 10 of each of'the catches and is interposed between the transverse partition 11 and the nose 9 so as to normally force the latter outwardly-into an operative position.

A cable or flexible member 13 is secured to the inner end of each of the shanks 10 and also to the drum 7 whereby when the said drum is turned the flexible members are wound thereon and the catches withdrawn into an inoperative position. Owing to the fact that the teeth 3 upon the standards 2 are inclined downwardly it will be readily apparent that after the letters or other members to be engaged by the clamp have been placed upon the base 1 the clamping bar 4 can be moved downwardly in the required manner, the catches 8 sliding over the in clined faces of the teeth 3 but engaging the opposite faces of the said teeth to prevent the clamping bar from moving away from the base to release the letters. When it is desired to accomplish this latter mentioned result the shaft 5 is rotated through the medium of the finger-piece 6 and the flexible members 13 wound upon the drum so as to withdraw the catches and hold the same in an inoperative position. The clamping bar 4 can then be moved away from the base and the letters or like members removed from or placed in position within the clamp.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a clamp of the character described, the combination of a frame comprising standards, a clamping bar slidably mounted upon the standards, spring actuated catches carried by the clamping bar for engaging the standards, a drum mounted upon the clamping bar, and flexible members connected to the catches and also to the drum.

2. In a clamp of the character described, the combination of a frame comprising standards, a tubular clamping member slidably mounted upon the standards, catches loosely mounted within the ends of the tubular clamping bar for engaging the standards, a transverse shaft journaled within the tubular clamping bar, a drum upon the said shaft, and flexible members connecting the drum to the before mentioned catches.

3. In a clamp of the character described,

the combination of a frame comprising toothed standards, a clampin bar slidably mounted upon the said stan ards, catches slidably mounted upon the clamping bar, each of the catches comprising a nose for engaging the toothed portion of the standards and a shank, springs mounted upon the shanks and normally holding'the noses in an o erative position, a drum mounted upon the c ampin bar, and flexible members connecting the rum and the shanks of the catches.

4. In a clamp of thecharacter described, the combination of a frame comprising toothed standards, a tubular clamping bar slidably mounted upon the toothed standards, transverse partitions in the end portions of the tubular clamping bar, a catch slidably mounted Within each end of the clamping bar and comprising a nose for engaging the toothed portion of the respective standard and a shank passing loosely through one of the transverse partitions, a spring mounted upon the shank of each of the catches and interposed between the nose thereof and the transverse partition, a drum mounted Within the tubular clampin bar, and flexiblemembers connectin the drum and the inner ends of the shank oi the catches.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ALFRED J. KRIETE. Witnesses:

L. V. SHULL, G. A. PARRISHY. 

